New Delhi redefines its security doctrine following Operation Sindoor, warns of decisive action against terrorism and state sponsors

In a forceful address to the nation on May 12, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a dramatic shift in India’s national security doctrine, declaring that New Delhi will no longer tolerate what he termed “nuclear blackmail.” Speaking just days after India concluded a high-profile military campaign-Operation Sindoor-against alleged terrorist targets inside Pakistan, Modi outlined a more assertive approach to dealing with cross-border terrorism and its backers.

“India will no longer differentiate between terrorists and their state sponsors,” Modi said in a televised address. “We will give a befitting response on our terms only. We will take strict action at every place from where the roots of terrorism emerge.” In a not-so-veiled reference to Pakistan, the Indian prime minister made clear that India was prepared to respond militarily, even if the aggressor was a nuclear-armed state.

The recent escalation began following a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, located in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The April 28 assault, which killed 26 people-mostly domestic tourists-shocked the nation and drew immediate condemnation from across the political spectrum. The Modi government wasted little time in attributing the attack to Pakistan-based militant groups, an allegation Islamabad denied.

On May 7, in response to what it called “credible intelligence inputs,” India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of air and missile strikes targeting........

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